Sociology
Ali Yaghoobi Choobary; Solmaz Sepehri Azad
Abstract
The Order of Things: An Archeology of Human Sciences is the fifth and one of the most important works of Michel Foucault. The purpose of this article is to review and criticize the book. The research method in this article is "qualitative content analysis" and gathering information by documentary study ...
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The Order of Things: An Archeology of Human Sciences is the fifth and one of the most important works of Michel Foucault. The purpose of this article is to review and criticize the book. The research method in this article is "qualitative content analysis" and gathering information by documentary study . The Order of Things follows the archeological analysis of knowledge and the analysis of episteme, which examines it through the analysis of two important breaks in the episteme of Western culture in the three realms of language, natural sciences and economics. The book has been criticized both for its descriptive approach and for its negligence of causality and for its opposition to the mainstream thought of the time. Although Foucault turned to "genealogy" in his later works, he transformed and modified archeology and did not abandon it. The work was first translated from English to Farsi by Yahya Emami, and then from French by Fateme Valiani. Valiyani is more successful in translating into the target language and is more accurate in translating the equivalents, but some of her chosen words are not so well established in the Persian language compared to Emami. In addition to a critical view of the book, the article also criticizes the form and content of the translation.
Archaeology
Ehsan Ahmadinya
Abstract
While none of the possible historical sources of Achaemenid royal libraries are available to us, with the exception of Darius the Great’s inscription at Behistun and the Cyrus Cylinder, we do not have any other chronicle inscriptions of this period. A major part of the history of the Achaemenid ...
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While none of the possible historical sources of Achaemenid royal libraries are available to us, with the exception of Darius the Great’s inscription at Behistun and the Cyrus Cylinder, we do not have any other chronicle inscriptions of this period. A major part of the history of the Achaemenid era has been based on the information given from Greek and sometimes Jewish sources, which researchers often point out shortcomings, contradictions, and even their narrative nature. With the development and expansion of the new archeology since the 1960’s up to now, and exploring the most important Achaemenid centers, whose discoveries began about a century earlier, a large amount of inscriptional information as well as information derived from the interpretation of material culture made available to researchers. Among them, the discovery and reading of a significant number of tablets belonging to the Achaemenid administrative and economic archives of some states, such as Pars and Babylon, reveal new information on the Achaemenid administrative and economic mechanisms. In addition, through this information, researchers have been able to extract valuable information from court individuals, as well as socio-historical and Juridical trends, and even specialization in artistic events. According to them, Achaemenid history is brought closer to reality. The evolution of academic science from the middle of the twentieth century led to more specialized science, and social developments at that time also resulted in the formation of movements such as feminism and similar cases. The debates in these new branches have led the way to research into a wide range of history and have led to significant discoveries and perspectives. Maria Brosius is among the scholars who, according to this trend, presented their studies on Achaemenid women in the form of a doctoral thesis and then a book entitled “Women in Ancient Iran (331-559)”. This article reviews and criticizes this book along with one of its Persian translations.
Archaeology
Majid Montazer Zohori; Hossein Sedighian
Abstract
Pottery is one of the most prominent aspects of Islamic crafts which flourished in both production and decoration. According to the archaeological pieces of evidence the Kūbāchi wares have been spread from Khorasan to Tabriz and it ever-known centers of production were Isfahan, Kerman, Neyshabur, Mashhad ...
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Pottery is one of the most prominent aspects of Islamic crafts which flourished in both production and decoration. According to the archaeological pieces of evidence the Kūbāchi wares have been spread from Khorasan to Tabriz and it ever-known centers of production were Isfahan, Kerman, Neyshabur, Mashhad and Tabriz. The book of “The Pottery Known as Kūbāchi” is the newest and the possibility most prominent written source about this subject, which argues the archaeological aspects of these wares. This paper aims to introduce the book and review its structure and contents. The first step of review had been started with structural aspects and the process of the narration, and then the content. One of the strengths of this book is the concentration on the various archaeological aspects of this type of pottery. Besides, it can be mentioned that the book could be more attractive to the audience if the documentation and references were more precise. There are some other deficiencies in the typology and categorizing the potteries, those can be edited by the author.
Sociology
Masoud Zare Mehrjardy; Ali Yousofi; Saeideh Mirabi
Abstract
Foucault’s theoretical foundations have often undergone significant rotations. Foucault’s commentators usually divide his scientific period into the duality of archeology-genealogy or the triad of archeology-genealogy-ethics. In this paper, Foucault’s archeology was analyzed through ...
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Foucault’s theoretical foundations have often undergone significant rotations. Foucault’s commentators usually divide his scientific period into the duality of archeology-genealogy or the triad of archeology-genealogy-ethics. In this paper, Foucault’s archeology was analyzed through a meta-theoretical approach based on a combined model. This model is a selection of Ritzer’s meta-theoretical logic (including four external-social, internal-social, external-intellectual, and internal-intellectual approaches) and Chalabi’s conceptual package (including four analytical elements of theory including theory-building equipment, theoretical claims range, theoretical functions, and Theoretical construction). The results show that although archeology is less important to researchers than genealogy; however, in addition to being an efficient theoretical approach to historical, sociological research, it provides a different perspective on society, history, knowledge, and knowledge; It is also a methodological approach with separate guidelines and with a fluid and flexible structure that can be used effectively in dynamic sociological, historical research and make it dynamic. The most important criticisms of archaeology are the neglect of political and historical complexities, the failure of the archaeology of knowledge as the subject of succession to epistemology, and philosophical vacuum and refusal to search for a meaningful source for restoring the scattered historical determination of human.
Archaeology
Javad Hoseinzadeh Sadati
Abstract
“Archaeological Approaches to Technology” by Heather Margaret-Louise Miller, professor at the University of Toronto is truly an updated survey on technology and crafts in archaeology that witnesses the hard efforts of the author. A critical review of the Persian translation of the book will ...
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“Archaeological Approaches to Technology” by Heather Margaret-Louise Miller, professor at the University of Toronto is truly an updated survey on technology and crafts in archaeology that witnesses the hard efforts of the author. A critical review of the Persian translation of the book will lead us to improve future translations in this area of study. To do this critical review, the author of this paper first read the whole book in a precise way and then made some notes over those parts of the book that were necessary in terms of contents or in editorial aspects. Then to correct some downsides, it was necessary to compare the Persian translation with the original texts, and finally some suggestions have been made for improving the translation. One of the most notable aspects of the book is its wide references over different areas of studies in each section. This could be very useful for graduate students who seek to work on crafts and technology in archaeology. Persian translation of the book has been done in a good way by Vahid Asgarpoor, assistant professor of Art at University of Tabriz, a young and active archaeologist. From the technical point of view, the book is printed and edited in a professional way, the combination of which with its simple translation would probably satisfy the readers. The biggest shortage of the translation is that the translator sticks too much to the main texts and its structure in a way that in some parts of the book the grammar is more like the original language than to Persian.
Archaeology
Hamed Vahdati Nasab
Abstract
Carlton Stevens Coon is one of the most prominent figures in the Prehistoric Archaeology of Iran. He conducted the first systematic field expeditions in the Iranian Archaeology 70 years ago. For many years his works have been taught in the Iranian universities. Now and after almost seventy years, a need ...
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Carlton Stevens Coon is one of the most prominent figures in the Prehistoric Archaeology of Iran. He conducted the first systematic field expeditions in the Iranian Archaeology 70 years ago. For many years his works have been taught in the Iranian universities. Now and after almost seventy years, a need for critical review of his works sounds inevitable. In this research, such review was performed based on five categories: theoretical approaches of the field works, degree of specialty, fieldwork approaches, data collecting methods, and data processing procedures. The results indicate that his theoretical and practical approaches have suffered from many weaknesses. Coon’s main concern was to find human remains (Neanderthals in particular) rather than conducting clean archaeology excavations. On the other hand, his horrifyingly racist publications, rumors about his employment as an intelligence operative by the CIA during the WW II and the Cold War, plus countless unanswered questions concerning the sites he chose to excavate in Iran, all support this hypothesis that Archaeology was not his first priority in Iran.
Archaeology
Mahsa Veisi
Abstract
This study examines the reasons for the commitment to change in the Archaeology curriculum at all levels of its curriculum, not based on preferences but on the basis of competency-based curriculum models. The undergraduate and postgraduate courses in this field have not been reviewed for more than thirty ...
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This study examines the reasons for the commitment to change in the Archaeology curriculum at all levels of its curriculum, not based on preferences but on the basis of competency-based curriculum models. The undergraduate and postgraduate courses in this field have not been reviewed for more than thirty years, and the PhD curriculum has been the same since its beginning. Today, in the world, curricula are shifting to skill-based, and many elements are being considered in formulating these programs. This study, considering the skills defined for archaeological graduates in the US Occupational Information Network (O * NET) as an index of the content analysis of archaeological educational competence in Iran, examines the relevance of this. The chapters deal with the skills. Its main purpose is to emphasize the need to review these courses based on a competency-based curriculum approach. The collection of data required in this study is library and documentary, and the method of data processing is descriptive and explanatory.
Archaeology
Mozhgan Jayez
Abstract
Drawing archaeological finds is one which stands out among the other means of documentation and information transfer in archaeological science. A wide range of objects is drawn during archeological activities. The present paper criticizes the translation of a book on the drawing of archeological objects. ...
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Drawing archaeological finds is one which stands out among the other means of documentation and information transfer in archaeological science. A wide range of objects is drawn during archeological activities. The present paper criticizes the translation of a book on the drawing of archeological objects. The main book in the original language is outdated, but it is a relatively reliable source. Considering that this book was regarded as one of the most important sources of drawing even before translation, its translation into Persian doubles its importance to Iranian archaeologists. The translated version of the book, which is published in Iran, suffers from the literal translation, unfamiliar and unusual equivalents, and low quality of the printed images, which play a major role in increasing the readers’ understanding of the content of the book. It should be considered that mastering the English language and having extended knowledge of the wide range of objects and archaeological finds are necessary for the translation of sourcebooks.
Archaeology
Kourosh Roustaei
Abstract
This is a critical assessment of the second volume of the book An Illustrated English-Persian Dictionary of Prehistoric Archaeology, written by Seyed Mansour Seyed Sajadi. The book suffers from several shortcomings which have been discussed in detail, especially the ambiguities and wrong information ...
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This is a critical assessment of the second volume of the book An Illustrated English-Persian Dictionary of Prehistoric Archaeology, written by Seyed Mansour Seyed Sajadi. The book suffers from several shortcomings which have been discussed in detail, especially the ambiguities and wrong information of the entries. It is obvious that the sources of gathering information about the entries, especially those related to the Iranian archaeology, have been outdated. No mention of the new sites and regions explored in Iran during the last two decades is seen in the book. Even the information of classic sites, like Sarab and Sialk, excavated over thirty years ago, is, in most cases, superficial and incomplete. Almost all dates for the Iranian sites are wrong. There is little attention to the Iranian entries than they deserved. With several examples, it has been shown that the word “prehistoric” in the title of the book is nothing but a superficial endeavor to attract the readers. The frequency of wrong, vague, and incomplete information in the book is too high to be regarded as a reliable source of information for students.
History
Rohullah Bahrami
Abstract
Vere Gordon Childe, an Australian archaeologist and historian, was one of most spectacular figures in archaeology and history in the first half of the 20th century. He took a methodologically synthetic approach to offer particular issues which are still given attention by pre-historians and historians. ...
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Vere Gordon Childe, an Australian archaeologist and historian, was one of most spectacular figures in archaeology and history in the first half of the 20th century. He took a methodologically synthetic approach to offer particular issues which are still given attention by pre-historians and historians. In this respect, his influential book History, targeting a survey of current theories on the history and historiography, was so given attention by academics in Iran that has been translated and published for several times. In this paper, it is attempted to review the Persian version of the book and that the methodological synthetic approach taken by its author about the historical order and the variables of such interpretation on the history.
Art
Javad HoseinzadehSadati
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 33-44
Abstract
The culture and arts of ancient Iran is so rich that after a century, the researchers are still introducing them and yet they remained flourishing. The book of “History of Culture and Art of Iran (Before the Islam)” is one of the text that is prepared to introduce pre-Islamic culture and ...
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The culture and arts of ancient Iran is so rich that after a century, the researchers are still introducing them and yet they remained flourishing. The book of “History of Culture and Art of Iran (Before the Islam)” is one of the text that is prepared to introduce pre-Islamic culture and art of Iran to interested students and people. From diachronic point of view, this book has tried to introduce different aspects of Pre-Islamic culture and arts of Iran briefly to the next generation. Today one the biggest problems all around the world, which includes us, is the crisis of identity, and such texts that introduce our ancient cultures to the new generations of students is necessary. This paper first reviews the format and content of the book, and then it proposes some points that can improve the next publications if the authors apply them.
Archaeology
Kourosh Roustaei
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 59-77
Abstract
This paper critically reviews the Farsi translation of the book entitled Field Methods in Archaeology. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the quality of the Farsi translation by presenting some of the shortcomings and misunderstanding frequently occurring in the translated book. These ...
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This paper critically reviews the Farsi translation of the book entitled Field Methods in Archaeology. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the quality of the Farsi translation by presenting some of the shortcomings and misunderstanding frequently occurring in the translated book. These shortcomings are classified, exemplified, and discussed by numerous sentences, phrases, and technical and ordinary terms and words as well. The main arguments are discussed under the following subjects: imprecise translation, vague or wrong translation, difficult reading, and inconsistencies in translation. Perhaps, the most obvious problem of the reviewed book is verbatim or literal translation. Lacking rightful and clear understanding of the original text is another major pitfall of the translated book. Using wrong, improper, or vague equivalents is still a further problem of the book under review. These subjects have been exemplified by many examples
Archaeology
rahmat abbasnejadseresti
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 79-98
Abstract
Southwest Asia has a great importance in Prehistoric Archaeology. The region of the Fertile Crescent, in which sedentism and domestication have been adopted by humankind for the first time, is located in this region. Mesopotamia is one of the most important parts of this region and has a special role ...
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Southwest Asia has a great importance in Prehistoric Archaeology. The region of the Fertile Crescent, in which sedentism and domestication have been adopted by humankind for the first time, is located in this region. Mesopotamia is one of the most important parts of this region and has a special role in livelihood, economic, and social events of prehistoric times. The present paper, in line with the critical approach to academic teaching books, criticizes the form and content of the book of Prehistoric Mesopotamia written by Dr. Hassan Talaei, published by the Organization for Researching and Composing University Textbooks in the Humanities (SAMT). Like any other work, this book has some advantages and disadvantages. The most desirable feature of the book is the relatively comprehensive information from the prehistoric of Mesopotamia that is readily accessible to the reader by a fluent and comprehensible text.The universality of the book in terms of its components is one of its most obvious drawbacks. The useful and relatively descriptive discussions that are presented in the book are not crystallized in the index. The tables, images and maps used in the book do not have enough desirability. The empty compilation and conclusion is completely evident in the book. The lack of analysis of archaeological data and the lack of critique of the Mesopotamian prehistoric theories are the most important book flaws.The periodization of the Neolithic period has not taken place in a specific framework; therefore, the reader of the book can hardly grasp the exact understanding of the Neolithic periods and their evolution whereas the Epi-Palaeolithic, Proto-Neolithic and Neolithic periods of the Levant and Mesopotamian regions were precisely categorized since 1990 decade. Archaeological theories of prehistoric cultures of the Mesopotamian lands have also not been criticized in the book. The author of the book should devote a discussion to the status of the Economic-social Complexities of North and South of Mesopotamia during the Chalcolithic period and Bronze Age.
Archaeology
Sorour Khorashadi
Abstract
For many years, Iranian and non-Iranian archaeologists have conducted archaeological research in the peripheral territories of the Persian Gulf as well as its depths, and they have gained valuable achievements. These achievements are mostly in the form of papers, most of which are in English. There are ...
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For many years, Iranian and non-Iranian archaeologists have conducted archaeological research in the peripheral territories of the Persian Gulf as well as its depths, and they have gained valuable achievements. These achievements are mostly in the form of papers, most of which are in English. There are several books on this area, which are published in English. Although some books have also been written by Iranian and non-Iranian scholars, the lack of a comprehensive monograph on the Persian Gulf from the archaeological point of view has been very tangible and obvious. Recently, a Persian book titled, Archaeology of the Persian Gulf in the Parthian and Sassanid Eras, has been published in Persian, encompassing surveys, excavations, and studies conducted by archaeologists in the northern and southern parts of the Persian Gulf in two broad periods of Iranian history, i.e. the Parthian and Sasanian eras. Therefore, the importance of the subject and national sensitivity of the Persian Gulf region justifies the need to evaluate and review the afore-said volume. A critical look at this valuable work reveals some shortcomings in literary editing, coherence, and logical intra-chapter and inter-chapter order of the material, long titles of some chapters, lack of congruency and concordance between the titles and the content in some chapters, an imbalance in dealing with the background of north and south coastal studies in the Persian Gulf in terms of the sequence of chronology, and the existence of few deficiencies in referencing and indexing.
Archaeology
javad neyestani; Mohsen saadati
Abstract
The ancient city of Rayy is a symbol of the social and cultural life of Iran prior to the arrival of the Mongols. The economic, cultural, and social flourishing of this city during the Islamic era led the city to be mentioned under different names, including the Bride of Cities, Om-al-Belad, and Sheykh ...
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The ancient city of Rayy is a symbol of the social and cultural life of Iran prior to the arrival of the Mongols. The economic, cultural, and social flourishing of this city during the Islamic era led the city to be mentioned under different names, including the Bride of Cities, Om-al-Belad, and Sheykh Al-Belad in some historical sources. “The Book of Rayy: From Its Origins to the Mongol Invasion an Archaeological and Historiographical Study” is about the latest archaeological studies and the urbanization history of the ancient city of Rayy. The book which is written by Roco Rante with cooperation of Ghadir Afrund, was published by Brill Holand Publications in 2014. This book, which combines archaeological data resulted from two seasons of archaeological excavations in 2006 and 2007 in Rashkan Castle of Rayy with historical texts, provides the readers with valuable information on archeology, history, and urbanization of Rayy in ancient times. However, like any other scientific work, the book has some shortcomings which will be discussed in the present article.
Archaeology
Mahsa Veisi
Abstract
The Achaemenid period is one of the most important historical periods in Iran. During this period, Cyrus the Great and his successors created the largest centralized state of that era, which despite its great cultural and ethnic diversity, was managed with a very advanced administrative system. ...
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The Achaemenid period is one of the most important historical periods in Iran. During this period, Cyrus the Great and his successors created the largest centralized state of that era, which despite its great cultural and ethnic diversity, was managed with a very advanced administrative system. Achaemenian commanded their vast territory within their empire centers in Pasargadae, Susa, and Persepolis. With the policy of the tolerance, they were able to unite all these areas together and by allowing the subsidiary nations to preserve their artistic and native culture, Achaemenian imported their own art and culture to these areas, too. This empire was a successful model of a multinational government which included Mesopotamia, Egypt, Caucasus, Asia Minor, and Central Asia and the administrative and artistic structure of the Achaemenian in each of these areas can be explored separately. The book of Mesopotamia and Iran in the Persian Period (Proceeding of a Seminar in memory of Vladimir G. Lukonin) was published in 1997. The translation of this book to Farsi was published by the Organization for Researching and Composing University Textbooks in the Humanities (SAMT) in 1389. Although this book includes valuable information about the Achaemenid period in general, as any other scientific work, there are some shortcomings in this book that are considered in this article. In a general conclusion, the main drawback of this book is the lack of coherence and the lack of relevance of the content of some parts of the book with its title.
